FINANCIAL SECURITY OF SOCIAL COOPERATIVES IN THE CATERING INDUSTRY: FINDINGS FROM THE FINANCIAL ANALYSIS VS. THE MANAGEMENT’S VIEWS

Financial security is essential in order for enterprises to survive and thrive in a competitive environment. It becomes especially important in crisis situations where restrictions are imposed that adversely affect business activities. Hence, there is a need for an in-depth exploration of what determines financial security in enterprises facing economic difficulties, especially in those primarily committed to social issues, namely social catering cooperatives. The purpose of this study was to assess and compare the financial security of social catering cooperatives active in Greater Poland during the COVID-19 pandemic. Research data was retrieved from 2020-2022financial reports of three social cooperatives. Information on how cooperative members view their financial security was collected during direct interviews based on a standardized questionnaire form. As demonstrated by the analysis of performance ratios, despite efforts made by the management, social cooperatives active in the catering business experienced a difficult financial situation during the COVID-19 threat, although their members had a positive perception of it. The difficulties were reflected in the cooperatives struggling to meet payment deadlines and to generate profits and positive cash flows. In order to avoid such issues in the future, they should focus on efficiently managing their trade credit, more actively seeking financial support from public funds, and strengthening their in-house communications. Managing these areas better can help ensure financial security and enable a more efficient functioning of cooperatives when faced with new economic hurdles.